Pages

Friday, December 30, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

“OFFICERS OF Y. W. C.
A. HEALTH CLUB

—Banner Staff Photo.

Members of the various classes in the health education
department of the Y. W. C. A. recently organized a Business Girls' Health Club.
The offices, reading from left to right, are: Mrs. Martha Holton, president;
Mrs. Mary Parrish, second-vice president; Miss Evelyn Stark, membership
chairman; Mrs. Thelma Moody, secretary-treasurer; Miss Myrtle Jones, publicity
chairman, and Miss Dessa F. Ainlay, adviser of the club and director of the
department. Miss Mary Sherer, first vice-president, is not in the picture.”

[The name of the newspaper in which this photograph appeared and the date of publication are unknown.]

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

"Y. W. C. A.
GIRLS HAVE FIGHTING CAGE TEAM

—Banner staff photos.

Pictured above is the Y. W. C. A. House girls'
basketball team which is a member of the Y. W. C. A. Business Girls' League.
The team got off to a bad start but has been displaying some fine basketball in
its recent games and are looking forward to a great season next year.

Monday, December 26, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

Friday, December 23, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

“Virginia Kathrine Winn, of
Miami, Fla., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Turner Winn, and granddaughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Irvin Wyatt, of this city.”

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

“Charles Morris Burk, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Burk, Nashville; grandson of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Burk
and C. W. Head.”

Notes:

Robert A. Burk and Eloise
Head were married 17 October 1925 in Williamson County, Tennessee. [Source:
“Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002,” Burk-Head (1925); online database with
images, Ancestry.com, (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 Dec
2011).]

Robert A. and Ellise Head are
found in the 1930 census in Nashville, Tennessee; there are no children in the
household. [Source: 1930 U.S.
census, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, Nashville, Enumeration
District (ED) 214, p. 11-A, dwelling 218, family 237, Robert A. Burk; digital
image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 Dec 2011);
citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 2244.]

The name of the newspaper in
which this photograph appeared and the date of publication are unknown.

Any relationship between Charles
Morris Burk and his parents and Laurine Wyatt is unknown.

Monday, December 19, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

Friday, December 16, 2011

In November
2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The
scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the
articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be
of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

“Lawrenceburg Bride

“Lawrenceburg, Tenn., June
1 (Spl.)--Mrs. James Alvin Brown was Miss Nadine Marjorie Bottoms, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Bottoms of Lawrenceburg, before her marriage in Franklin,
Tenn., on May 19. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Girl's Cotillion, and the
Girl's A. B. C. Club.”

I found the following marriage record for Alvin Brown and Nadine
Battams in Williamson County, Tennessee, on May 19, 1940:

Nadine Bottoms was born about 1919 and is enumerated with her parents
and siblings on the 1920 and 1930 U.S. federal censuses, in Lincoln County,
Tennessee, and Lawrence County, Tennessee, respectively.

This announcement was on the back of a loose newspaper clipping in the
scrapbook. Therefore, I do not believe this person was affiliated in any way
with Laurine Wyatt.

I have no information regarding the date of publication of this
announcement or the name of the newspaper in which it appeared.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

In November
2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The
scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the
articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be
of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

“Mrs. John Ulna Whitaker

Photo by W. G. Thuss

“Mr. and Mrs. John Ulna
Whitaker, who have been making their home in Detroit since their marriage on
Christmas Day, have returned to Nashville to reside and will make their home on
Cahal avenue. Mrs. Whitaker was formerly Miss Myrtle Frogue, charming young daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Frogue.”

Notes:

Myrtle Frogue is enumerated with her parents and siblings in the
1900-1920 U.S. federal censuses, first in Smith County, Tennessee, then in
Davidson County, Tennessee. According to a family tree
posted on Ancestry, she and John Ulna Whitaker were married on December
25, 1927, in Nashville; however, I have been unable to locate a marriage record
for the couple on either Ancestry or FamilySearch. The couple is
enumerated in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, in 1930. According to the Social
Security Death Index, Myrtle Whitaker was born on 13 January 1898 and died in
November 1984.

I have no information regarding the date of publication of this
announcement or the name of the newspaper in which it appeared.

I have no information regarding Myrtle Frogue Whitaker’s relationship
to Laurine Wyatt.

Monday, December 12, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

“Miss Ora Beverly Goss

photo by Calvert
Bros.

The engagement of Miss Ora Beverly Goss to Lucian Leonard
Davis, of St. Louis, Mo., is announced today by the bride-elect's parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Alonzo Franklin Goss of this city. The wedding will take place the
latter part of November.”

Friday, December 9, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in
Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine
Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook
with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching
the individuals named.

Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Lee of Clarksville announce the
marriage of their daughter, Mary Edna, to Lawrence Glenn Foust, son of Mrs. L.
C. Foust of Sango. The wedding took place at the First Baptist Church in Clarksville
at 7 o'clock the evening of March 26. The Rev. Richard N. Owen performed the
ceremony.

For the occasion the bride was attractive in a
two-piece beige suit with patent leather accessories. Her flowers were talisman
roses. Mrs. Walter Gray, sister of the groom, serving as attendant, chose an
outfit of Navy blue with white accessories. Her flowers were Briarcliff roses.

Walter Gray was best man.

Only a few close friends of the family attended the
wedding.

Mrs. Foust is a graduate of Clarksville High School
and attended Austin Peay State College for two years. She has been with
Boillin-Harrison Co. here for several years. Mr. Foust is a graduate of
Clarksville High School and is now engaged in farming.”

Notes:

No marriage record for this couple could be found on
Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.

The date of publication and the title of the newspaper
in which this announcement appeared are unknown; searches made on
NewspaperArchives and GenealogyBank.

Monday, December 5, 2011

In
November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson,
California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am
transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the
hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the
individuals named.

“MRS.
PRENTICE WALTON SMITH

“Mrs.
Prentice Walton Smith, who before her marriage, April 28, 1943, was Miss
Virginia Katherine Winn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Turner Winn of Clarksville.

“The
wedding took place in Hopkinsville, Ky.”

Notes:

The
date of publication and the newspaper in which this announcement appeared are unknown.

The
relationship of Laurine Wyatt to the subject of the article is also unknown.

Friday, December 2, 2011

In
November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson,
California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am
transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the
hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the
individuals named.

“Mrs.
W. S. Spangenberg Is Honoree of Affair

“Mrs.
William S. Spangenberg, a popular bride, was the honoree of an informal party
Friday evening when Mrs. William Blount and Miss Louise McDonald entertained at
the home of Mrs. Blount on Fifteenth Avenue, South.

“Contests
were the diversion of the evening, prized being awarded Miss Dorothy Brooks and
Mrs. Marshall Spangenberg. The honoree was presented a number of gifts, the
presentation being made by little Caroline Murphy.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

In
November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson,
California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am
transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the
hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the
individuals named.

“MARRIAGE
ANNOUNCED

“MRS.
W. L. SPANGENBERG'S marriage is announced today by her father, J.C. Brandon.
The ceremony took place May 30, in Franklin, Ky. The bride, who was formerly
Miss Nancy Lee Brandon, attended Abilene Christian College in Abilene, Texas,
and David Lipscomb College. Mr. and Mrs. Spangenberg will make their home in
Louisville where the bridegroom is an engineer and draftsman in the employ of
the United States Government.”

Notes:

The
date of this announcement and the newspaper in which it was published are
unknown.

No
marriage record was located in searches on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.

However,
a death certificate was found for a stillborn child born to this couple on 29
February 1936. [Source: Kentucky Bureau of Vital Statistics, death certificate,
child of Wm. L. Spangenberg (1936); Ancestry.com, Kentucky Death Records, 1852-1953, online database and images (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 November
2011.]

Monday, November 28, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

This
is another of the numerous articles and documents related to the Y.W.C.A.
contained in the scrapbook.

Friday, November 25, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

This
is one of the numerous articles and documents related to the Y.W.C.A. contained
in the scrapbook.

"Y.
W. C. A. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

"–Banner
staff photo.

"Newly
elected officers and members of the directorate of the Y. W. C. A. are shown
above, the picture being made Wednesday morning at the bi-monthly meeting.

Monday, November 21, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

“—Photo by Fletcher Harvey, Schumacher Studio

“MRS.
THOMAS MacWILLIAMS was before her marriage May 19, Miss Louise Gentry of Una.
Mr. MacWILLIAMS is continuity editor for Radio Station WSIX.”

Notes:

Searches
for this marriage on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org were unsuccessful.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Randy Seaver of GeneaMusings has offered the following
challenge for the Thanksgiving edition of SNGF:

Think about the answers to these questions:

Which ancestor are you most thankful for, and why?

Which author (book, periodical, website, etc.) are you most thankful for,
and why?

Which historical record set (paper or website) are you most thankful for,
and why?

Tell us about it in a blog post of your own; in a comment to this blog
post; in a Facebook status line or a Google Plus stream post.

I am
thankful for all my ancestors—without them, I wouldn’t be here!

But since
I can only choose one for this exercise, I would have to choose my paternal
great-grandfather, Ambrose B. Martindale (1844-1918). A.B. (as he was known)
was active as a business and civic leader in the communities in which he lived.
I have been able to find articles about him in the newspapers of the day, in
addition to official records. Of all my ancestors, A.B. is the one who has
truly come to life for me.

Again,
since I can only choose one historical record set, I am most thankful for the
Civil War Service Records available on Fold3.
The digitized images of NARA Publication
M347 "Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging in Confederate Compiled Service Records" available as part of this collection gave me the information I needed
to prove a family tradition that A. B. Martindale had served in both the
Confederate and Union armies!

Disclaimer: I am also thankful to
have the opportunity to participate in several affiliate marketing programs!
Should you decide to purchase any of the products listed above through my link,
I will receive a small commission. The price you pay for the product will be
the same whether you purchase through me or by going directly to the seller’s
website.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

“—Photo by Cliff Eckstrom-Cain-Sloan Co.

“THEIR
MARRIAGE ANNOUNCED TODAY—Mr. and Mrs. Clifton C. Seale, Jr., are seen following
their marriage which was solemnized on Sunday, November 9, in the study at
First Baptist Church. Dr. W. F. Powell, pastor of the church, officiated. The
bride, who is a daughter of Mrs. James A. Lamb and the late Mr. Lamb, was
formerly Miss Ruth Lamb. Mr. Seale is a son of Mrs. Bessie Seale of Nashville
and Clifton C. Seale of Livingston, Ala. He and his bride will make their home
at 1100 Fatherland Street.”

Notes:

The
title of the newspaper and the date of publication of this announcement are
unknown.

Searches
for the marriage on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch were unsuccessful.

Any
relationship between these individuals and Laurine Wyatt is unknown.

Monday, November 14, 2011

In November 2011, I purchased a scrapbook at an antiques mall in Carson, California. The scrapbook is believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt. I am transcribing the articles and documents contained in the scrapbook with the hope that it may be of value to genealogists who may be researching the individuals named.

Following
is one of the loose newspaper clippings that was included in the scrapbook
believed to have belonged to Laurine Wyatt:

“Rites
for Mrs. Bateman Scheduled
Tomorrow

"Funeral
services for Mrs. Frances Buchanan Bateman, for many years associated with the
millinery department at Tinsley's store, who died yesterday morning at the home
of her daughter, Mrs. Henry Lee Hanson, 2111 Bernard Avenue, will be held
tomorrow morning at 10:30 o'clock at the Marshall Funeral Home. The Rev. J. J.
Ferguson and the Rev. Harry Denman will officiate and burial will be in Mt.
Olivet Cemetery.

"A
native of Vicksburg, Miss., Mrs. Bateman lived there until her marriage, after
which she made her home in Nashville. She was the widow of Willis Enoch Bateman
who died in 1911.

"She
was a charter member of the Rutledge Magazine Club and belonged to the Belmont
Methodist Church.

"In
addition to Mrs. Hanson, she is survived by her son, Willis Enoch Bateman, of
Norfolk, Va.”

Notes:

I have been unable to determine the title of the newspaper
in which this obituary appeared.

Frances Buchanan Bateman was born on 19 January 1880 and
died 23 October 1941 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. She was the
daughter of Samuel J. Buchanan and Mary Sherrard. [Source: “Tennessee Death
Records, 1914-1955,” FamilySearch;
digital images (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11571-125470-74?cc=1417505
: accessed 14 November 2011).]

At this time, I am unable to determine what, if any,
relationship existed between Mrs. Bateman and Laurine Wyatt.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

While visiting the antiques mall in Carson yesterday, a
friend found a wonderful old scrapbook. I couldn’t resist purchasing it! It
appears to have belonged to a woman named Laurine Wyatt and includes items from
about 1930 to 1945. There are no photographs, but quite a few newspaper
clippings (undated and without the name of the newspaper), numerous items
related to the YWCA of Nashville, Tennessee, and two letters of a personal
nature. I’ll be scanning, transcribing and sharing the contents here over the
next few weeks. Here is a photo of the scrapbook and of Laurine’s name from the
inside of the front cover.

Monday, November 7, 2011

NaNoWriMo, short for
National Novel Writing Month, is sponsored by The Office of Letters and Light.
The goal is for participants to write a 50,000-word novel during the month of
November. While the challenge is to write a novel, there are rebels who are
writing blog posts, memoirs, or historical non-fiction.

I’m one of those rebels. In addition to posts for four blogs,
I have several writing projects lined up: a marriage record compilation, a
diary transcription, a book about my mother’s ancestors, two short articles to
submit for publication, and an entry for the Southern California Genealogical
Society’s 12th
Annual Family History Writing Contest. Whew!

You may be wondering if I expect to finish all those
projects in the 23 days that are left in the month. Not really, but I hope to have
a solid, working draft for each of them.

NaNoWriMo began on November 1st while I was
vacationing in Texas. So I have a lot of catching up to do! So far, I’ve only
written 772 words; I need to write 2,052 words a day for the rest of the month
to reach 50,000 words. Wish me luck!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

In honor of Noah Webster's birthday, today has been designated Dictionary Day!

Language is evolving constantly, so the words we encounter in records about our ancestors may be unfamiliar to us. Or we may find that the definition in use today is not the same as in past times!

A must-have in your genealogy library is Black's Law Dictionary. Although Black's is now in its 9th edition, the 4th edition is recommended because it contains terms genealogists may encounter that are now obsolete.

Whenever you encounter an unfamiliar word in historical documents, or a phrase seems unclear, remember your parents admonishment to "look it up, dear!"

Disclaimer: The links above lead to Amazon.com product pages. I am an Amazon affiliate, and should you purchase a book by following one of my links, I will receive a small commission. You pay the same price as if you visited Amazon independently.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

I don’t think there’s a genealogist alive that wouldn't love to find an ancestor's diary...to be able to read, in that person's own hand, their thoughts on day-to-day life, their dreams and aspirations, their frustrations and disappointments.

InThe Artist's Way, Julia Cameron recommends writing daily morning pages—three handwritten pages of stream-of-consciousness writing—as a method to get rid of the junk that inhibits our creative spirit. Morning pages are not intended to be read by anyone, not even the writer, for at least several weeks and perhaps not at all.

I’ve written morning pages off and on for about ten years. They are filled with endless whining, grousing and complaining about work, relationships, family, etc., nothing of any value in telling my story. It’s the same from day to day, from one year to the next. For me, the value of morning pages lies in their cathartic properties. I surely don’t want anyone to read them EVER! One of these days, I will take the time to shred them. I wish I had a fireplace because it would be so much quicker to burn them!

I don’t have the discipline to write an intentional journal, so I will continue to post short memoirs on my 52 Weeks of Personal History blog. (Having procrastinated for nine months, I am still getting caught up!) When the year is over, I plan to choose another set of prompts to use in continuing my life account.

Everyone has a story that should be told…choose a way that feels comfortable for you and tell yours!

Monday, October 10, 2011

“Tell me about the olden days.” I can remember asking my
parents to tell me what life was like when they were young. But now they are
gone, and there are so many more questions I would like to ask.

Preserving memories is an important aspect of being a good
ancestor. One of the methods that can be used is to write about them in blog
posts. There are many resources available to use as writing prompts. Here are
just a few:

Legacy Family Tree, as part of
its genealogical software program, has an “interview questions report.”

I must confess I intended to start doing this at the
beginning of the year, using Amy Coffin’s series. But I haven’t....and now must
catch up! My plan is to write 7 posts per week including the prompt for the
current week and several from previous weeks until I am back on track.

I’ve created a blog just for these posts—52 Weeks of Personal History—and
published three posts. The posts are “dated” according to the week when the
prompt was originally scheduled to be written. Once the year is over, my goal
is to publish a “blog book” that can become part of my genealogy legacy.

1) If you have your family tree research in a Genealogy Management Program (GMP), whether a computer software program or an online family tree, figure out how to find how many persons, places, sources, etc. are in your database (hint: the Help button is your friend!).

2) Tell us which GMP you use, and how many persons, places, sources, etc. are in your database(s) today in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook status or Google+ stream comment.

I use the Deluxe Version of Legacy Family Tree 7, which doesn't provide as many statistics as RootsMagic 4. The steps in Legacy are to click on HELP, and then on GENERAL INFORMATION; here are my results:

It shows that the version I am using has a build date of 2 Aug 2011; one of Legacy's features is that it will remind you to check for updates to the software. This is the most recent version.

Under File Information, you will note that the Family File Path shows that I have saved my database to My Dropbox. By saving it there, I can be sure that I have the most up-to-date information whether I open the database from my desktop computer or my laptop.

Finally, it gives some content information:

Number of individuals: 9,765

Number of families: 3,456

Unique surnames: 2,161

Master source entries: 921 (Of course, I have many more source citations! This just represents the number of master sources I am currently using.)

Here are some of the other reports available in Legacy, along with my current page count for each report:

Event Report: lists events for each individual (200 pages)

Source Citations Report: lists each master source with the number of times it is used (62 pages)

Surname Report: lists each surname with the number of occurrences (37 pages)

Friday, October 7, 2011

While researching another family in Ohio County, West Virginia, I found the will of Alpheus Beal (Beall) written in 1833 which is transcribed below; copies of the images follow the transcription.

"Know all men by these presents that I Alpheus
Beal of Ohio County Farmer being weak in
body but of Sound mind and memory make
this my will and testament as follows

First I bequeath after all my just debts are
paid: to my black girls (vis) Easter Lethe
Mariah and Harriett all the property herein
after mentioned All my land to be rented
until it Can be Sold and the interest to be paid
as well as the interest arising from the money
got for the land after it is Sold to the black
girls aforesaid Second I bequeath to the black
girls above named half of the Crop in the ground
at the time of my decease and also Loom and
tackling--a Cow--one back oven--brass Kettle--
tea Kettle Smoothing Irons and all their own beds &
bedding and Kitchen furniture except the three big
Kettles two bake ovens and one pot
Third I bequeath to the above named black
girls the interest of my personal estate after it is Sold
Fourth I bequeath to my girl Lethe a Sow and
pigs also a sow and eight pigs-- Also Sugar tongs
and six silver tea spoons to Harriet another of my girls
Fifth I hereby will and ordain my black girls (viz)
Lethe Harriet Easter and Mariah free at my death
Fifth After the death of my girls before mentioned
the money remaining in the hands of my Exec
=utors I devise to be paid to Alpheus Beal Willi
=ams my Nephew of Montgmery County Ma
=ryland I wish my Executors to have my prop
=erty Sold at a reasonable credit and they are
hereby empowered to execute all the parts of this
my last will and testament

I hereby appoint Zachariah Jacobs
of Wheeling Virginia my Sole Executor of
this my last will and testament Witness
my hand and Seal this twenty eighth day of
June one thousand eight hundred & thirty then
and thirty threeAlpheus Beall (Seal)Witness
Samuel McKeehan
John Stroop
Benjamin Stroop
At a court held for Ohio County on the fifth
day of August 1833The last will & Testament of Alpheus Beall
deceased is presented in Court and proved by
the oaths of John Stroop & Benjamin Stroop
Two of the Subscribing witnesses thereto
and ordered to be recordedA Copy TestJno McColloch Clk"

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

As genealogists and family historians, we appreciate ALL our
ancestors. But nothing makes us happier than ancestors who left records of
their lives—photographs, letters, diaries—so that we can know them in a
personal way that is not possible from other records.

Think about a hundred years from now...it’s 2111...what
artifacts will your descendants have from which to know you?

For Ancestor Appreciation Day, I’m making a resolution to be
a better ancestor! Next month is Family History Month, and each week I’ll be
working on, and sharing with you, what I’m doing to create and preserve a
legacy for my descendants.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

1847 5-cent stamp depicting Benjamin Franklin, First U.S. Postmaster General,
appointed by the Continental Congress on 26 Sept 1789.
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.

Have you checked out NARA Microfilm Publication M841 Record of Appointments of Postmasters, 1832-September 30, 1971 to see if any of your ancestors served as postmaster?

Jean Wilcox Hibben of Circlemending has written an excellent series of blog posts exploring these records and describing the types of information that can be found. Click here for the first post which provides an overview of the record group, where to find the microfilms, etc.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Over the last several weeks, you may have seen references to a new educational opportunity available for FREE! Thanks to Valerie Brown Elkins of Family Cherished and Tonia Kendrick of Tonia's Roots, we now have the US-REC Study Group, focusing on American records.

With a concept similar to the successful ProGen Study Group, and using Facebook as the platform for discussion among the group members, it promises to be an outstanding way to learn more about the records that are available for U.S. research. The texts for the course are The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy by Val D. Greenwood and The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy by Loretta D. Szucs and Sandra H. Luebking.

Designed for intermediate-level genealogists, the group will study two chapters each month and have a related practical assignment. The program will last approximately 15 months.

The US-REC Study Group still has a few spaces left in this first group of participants, but if you are interested, send me an email and I'll ask for information to be sent!

I'm looking forward to participating in this group and I hope you'll join me!

Friday, September 9, 2011

Okay, I’m jumping on this bandwagon. I have read several
posts on the 99 Things Meme, some general and some related to genealogy, so I’m
not sure whose list I’m using here. I’ve added extra information (in blue)
because I think this is a great way to get to know other genealogists! Come on,
join the fun in your own post!

The list is annotated in the following manner:
Things I’ve already done: bold face type
Things I’d like to do: italicize
Things I haven’t done, don’t care to, or just hasn’t come up yet: plain type